"I Made That!" Monday: Vintage Inspired Girls Dress

With Spring coming and two little ladies who prefer dresses to anything else, I was excited to find several different fabrics that have a very vintage look to them. They were also super inexpensive, so I may have gone a bit crazy. I'm okay with that though.

Have a lovely day!

The Daily DIY: Mercury Glass

You'll need:

Krylon Looking Glass Spray Paint

Vinegar

Any Glass Jar

Music: Generator^First Floor by Freelance Whales

Depending on how thick you spray the paint on and how much vinegar you let sit, will decipher what look you end up with. I like the way this turned out because it looks a bit aged now, but it's subtle.

This is such an easy way to add a little "antique" to your decor even if you don't have the real thing.
Have a lovely day!

The Daily DIY: Hanging Paper Lanterns

These Hanging Paper Lanterns are SUPER easy to make and are so pretty to look at.

Here's a short video tutorial to show just HOW easy.

music: "Oh Holiday" by Jules Larson

I used a translucent thread to hang these from our ceiling. You could also set these over mason jars with tea lights to create an actual lantern effect. I'm excited to incorporate these into the little ladies room decor... as they are much like me and enjoy having pretty things to look at all around them. 

Have a lovely, wonderful weekend!

vintage wear: Bows

This is one of my most favorite finds. First off, I think I paid $7.50 for it. Obviously, I love the bows on it; I also love the details on the top and the sleeves. However, as always, the length was so unflattering on me... so off it went!

I cut a few inches off making it hit just a bit above my knee which is what I always prefer. Add a sparkly gold belt, and some super cute heels and I have a favorite new outfit.

*SIDE NOTE* I wore this outfit to an outing at The Orpheum Theater where The Godfather Part 1 was being shown. As I was waiting for my date to catch up with me afterwards I was waiting at the back of the theater and a couple asked if I had dressed up for The Godfather. My reply was that I was dressed up because my three children were at home in bed and I was out on the town to which the man then said, "Huh... well, you look like a Corleone."

Lately...

It's been an interesting few weeks here lately...

For the last several months I haven't really felt like myself. I wasn't handling things the way I would normally handle things and just felt like a completely different person. So, I finally went to the Doctor. Blood tests came back fine, nothing too out of the ordinary except... oh yeah, he felt a mass on the right side of my abdomen and scheduled a sonogram to figure out what it was. The sonogram was almost a week later, and then the results weren't given to me until many days later than that. It was agony. However, the results came back fine with the sonogram as well. So, we figured out what it wasn't... but still no word on what it IS. I'm scheduled to see a specialist this next month to figure some things out, and hopefully we will. In that time though, it's as if a little reset button was pushed in my head and I all of a sudden was just back. It's very strange and so very interesting how our bodies work.

Through it all though, we were still working and creating and enjoying the beautiful Kansas days (which at times were slightly too warm for my taste in October)...

The girls are loving their school work and their minds are amazing to me. It's incredible how much they soak in... I am loving it as well.

My friend, Erin, made an Asian Coleslaw for Book Club and it was unbelievable. I loved it and gave it my own little twist (and by twist, I mean I put it in a egg roll wrap and flash-fried it to a golden, crispy beauty!) and I crave it daily. Perhaps a recipe will be shared soon.

That sandwich is just pretty. Those tomatoes are from my Grandma's garden and were the juiciest, most perfect things I've ever tasted.

My beautiful camera bag that my sister made me was also one of the things stolen in The Great Thievery and the one that I would like to replace it with is still over $300. So, needless to say that is still not an option when I can easily make something just as practical... but even more beautiful. That's an old purse that I had in my in-house Thrift Shop, aka the basement, which was given new life with some foam and Chevron stripes.

DIY Mercury Glass... coming soon... possibly.

So much to catch up posting about: a Baby Shower where it was revealed that I am having another NEICE!!!, a beautiful family photo session, a HANDMADE SWAP, and more to come this next weekend!

Friday Photographs: Instagram'n it up

Top Left to Bottom Right: Wynonna Judd concert with my closest long-time pal who happens to love Wynonna... a lot./ 'BE AWESOME TODAY' sign made with duct tape and vinyl letters/ Out on the town accessories/ Fudge and Fudge/ Trying to contain Little Mister/ Vintage Banker's Chair... steal of the week at $7.50/ The little ladies and I imagining.

I mentioned in my last post that I love Instagram. I need you to know though that I LOVE it, love it, LOVE IT.  It's my new kick, and I hope it stays around for a long time.

PS: I'm still on a "Vintage Find High" from finding that chair for $7.50... YEAH, SEVEN DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS!!!!!

PS2: My friend and I had tickets on the back row on the floor at the Wynonna concert... not 10 minutes into it, her assistant came over and asked us if we wanted to move to the front row. I bought a Wynonna Judd cassette tape in eighth grade... so I knew the words to, uh, three songs... but you better believe Wynonna Judd didn't know that because I don't care who's on stage playing, if I get to sit on the front row at a concert, I am livin'... it... up!

Have an ever so lovely weekend!

"I Made That Monday!": A Productive Week

I found myself in project mode last week.

Two pillowcase dresses for two little ladies.

These are not actually pillowcases, but SO simple to create.

I have STACKS of fabric pleading to become

the wears of the tiny fashionistas around here.

I may even get really crazy and make myself one.

A leather flower.

Oooh, this has been a dream in my mind since I began creating these hair pins,

and I have to say that this one is my favorite yet.

That mustard color and those white vintage gems together make me smile...

every time I look at it.

Arm Candy.

I had seen a wrap bracelet in a local shop here and SWOONED over it.

It was so incredibly beautiful.

It was also $40.

I could not spend $40 on a bracelet.

Fortunately, a few weeks later,

some fellow crafters and I worked our magic little fingers to the bone

to create our own.

I BEGAN the bracelet one evening,

worked on it for a good hour and a half to two hours,

and finished it a few days later after spending at least another two hours on it

(Granted, I am a perfectionist.).

That wrap bracelet I saw in the local shop here...

worth every single penny.

Custom Canvas Art.

This is so simple, 

and such an easy way to create words throughout your home.

I had originally seen it done here,

and then began seeing it all over Pinterest.

The original one I saw is actually a Paint-By-Number painting picked up at a thrift shop,

with Vinyl lettering placed together to make the quote and then painted white.

Mine is actually a canvas,

painted with colors that I chose,

Vinyl lettering over that to create the quote

and then spray painted with a glossy white paint.

Let the paint dry for the afternoon, or overnight,

and then peel away the letters.

My Love created a video of our life together put to the music of "Stand By Me";

this will hang in our room.

I may be going overboard with these soon.

Also, plans have begun for the 2012 Fall Red Barn Outdoor Market.

The musicians are lined up;

The food Vendors are tweeking menus;

and the Vendors are registering and preparing.

If you are local, come!

(and even if you're not... ahem... Becky! It's worth a little weekend trip.)

It is magical.

Get creative today!

"I Made That!" Monday: Rose Cabochon Pendants

Let me fill you all in on something...

Each morning I wake up to some crazy little munchkin people running into my room;

they cuddle and snuggle and jump and finally realize that they are ready for breakfast

and just start saying over and over, 

"I'm ready for breakfast, I'm ready for breakfast...".

So we're up and at em' pretty quick getting breakfasts made and bellies filled.

However,

in the time that they are cuddling and snuggling and jumping,

I am usually checking emails...

looking for one very special,

very exciting email...

each morning.

It's my daily deal from The Plaid Barn.

The Plaid Barn is a website that offers you an

AMAZING DEAL

on some kind of craft supply or DIY kit each day

at FRACTIONS of their normal costs...

seriously like up to 90% sometimes!

For someone who LOVES a deal

AND

has an addictive personality...

well, you can just imagine.

These were actually two different daily deals:

the Round Tile Pendants 

(which also came with an epoxy cover...

the girls and I have already made some Mod Podged pendants and used those...

and they are CUTE!)
and
the Tiny, Petite Rose Cabochons.

I saw these sitting together one day and decided they would combine
and be the perfect little afternoon project for me.
I painted a few of the pendants,
but loved the look of the wood for some of them.
Then I just glued the little cabochons on,
and the connector for the chain,
and voila!
And I still have some left over...
so some sisters may be getting some treats soon,
we'll see.

Be lovely today!!

"I Made That!" Monday: diy Summer Day Teepee

My littles are always looking for a cozy little place to hide away in,

and making some little teepee's has been on my never ending  project list for awhile.

I chose THE most simple way to do this

and used stuff that we already had,

so this was a great afternoon project.

You'll need:

Four sticks similar in height

(at whatever height you'd like the teepee to be)

A Full or Queen Size Sheet

Rope or Twine

Scissors 

Begin by setting the sticks up creating a pyramid;

then take the rope or twine and begin looping it through every other stick.

I reinforced it by looping it completely around one stick and 

then looping it a few times in the opposite direction as well.

Knot the two ends together a couple times.

Cut an 'X' in the middle of the sheet

and then drape over the sticks,

pulling the sticks through the 'X'.

I tied each opposite triangle (from the 'X' cut through the middle) to each other 

to keep the sheet from slipping at the top,

and also knotted the ends to the bottom of each stick.

I cut a straight line up one of the sides for an entrance

and knotted the ends together to keep it open.

Add some blankets, pillows, and books

and you have the perfect little Summer day teepee.

The Daily DIY: Block Printed Tea Towels

These tea towels are fun and simple to make

and allow your creativity to take over

for each custom design.

Begin by finding a linen-like fabric to use.

I chose this one from Joanne's

(it's 50% through June 23rd for all you fabric bargain-hunters!).

Cut it to the width you prefer.

Out of three yards, 

I ended up with eight 2 x 2 1/2 foot squares.

I used some foam stamps that I had on-hand,

and some Frog Tape to create some lines,

 get creative though,

 and use any kind of interesting object you can find.

Once the fabric is cut, 

and the design is thought out,

use the foam pouncers to cover your objects with paint and 

then stamp them onto the fabric.

If making lines, 

use two pieces of tape parallel to each other with the width of space

you'd like the line to be

and then use the foam pouncer to paint the space between the tape.

Allow paint to dry and remove tape.

Stitch a hem around the towel and wash before using to set the paint.

This is a great DIY project to create custom gifts

for weddings, hostess gifts, or new home open houses.

Get creative and have some fun!

vintage wear: Polka dots

If you've ever read my profile description,

you'll have seen that I have a love of vintage dresses.

I can get a little crazy when I see potential in something

(you may have noticed from past posts that this is not limited to vintage dresses).

I realize not everyone can look at something and see the potential in it

(those people also probably have nicely organized basements, garages, and sheds

that are not full of treasures waiting to have their potential revealed to them and the world),

so I thought I'd start a new series to share some of my finds

and the potential I saw in them.

I saw this beauty and fell in love.

First, it's polka-dotted.

How could I pass up a polka-dotted dress?

I could not.

Secondly, that accordion skirt is the twirliest skirt you ever have seen.

I had to have it.

So, for this particular dress, I:

Shortened the sleeves;

I loved the sleeves, however I have short arms and it just wasn't working.

Cut out the mid section;

You can see on the before picture that there is fabric between the top and the skirt.

The length of the skirt was just a tad too long, 

so by cutting out this fabric and attaching the skirt back to the top,

it came out the perfect length for me...

because my legs are kind of short as well.

Removed the buttons, added a bow;

because the only thing that could have made this dress cuter,

was a bow.

Paired with some black tights and heels,

this little number danced the night away at a recent wedding reception.

Why waste a twirly skirt by just sitting around mingling??

The Daily DIY: Pink Grapefruit Sugar Scrub

You'll need:

Sugar

Coconut Oil

Pink Grapefruit Zest

Begin by zesting your grapefruit

(Be prepared, this will smell wonderful!)
until you have about 1 Tablespoon;

Once "zested" place in a mixing bowl

with 1 Cup of Sugar 

and begin mixing with your hands.

Once the zest and sugar are mixed well,

add two spoonfuls of Coconut Oil

and mix together with sugar and grapefruit zest.

Once mixed,

place in a mason jar

and keep up to a week

(may keep longer if placed in the refrigerator).

This is a great lip/hand/body exfoliant even for sensitive skin,

and the Coconut Oil absorbs quickly

leaving your skin feeling wonderfully soft.

Have a lovely weekend!

A Fresh New Coat of Paint.

Sometimes my Uncle

(who manages a paint shop)

gets me free paint;

and sometimes on a whim I decide to 

re-paint my kitchen...

in the middle of the night.

Sometimes this happens 

in the midst of A LOT of other projects

going on.

(Obviously, my husband loves it when this happens...

hehehe!)

Just sometimes though...

Have the most wonderful week!

DIY Vanity and a GIVEAWAY: Petie Mae Jewelry

I go a little bit crazy with jewelry.

I just love a great accessory... I can't help it.

My dresser, however, was not appreciating my crazy love,

and frankly, neither was I.

I needed to do something.

There is a local surplus store here that

can be a treasure chest of amazingness,

or just a giant junk drawer.

One day when I was there,

it was a treasure chest.

I've had my eyes open for a little desk

or a little bookshelf that I could place

next to our bed as my own

girly space,

so when I saw a little metal bookshelf for $10,

I was just a little bit excited.

With a little paint,

it would be perfect.

I also had in mind a place for all my jewelry,

which in the end, ended up costing me nothing

because I had all the materials.

Tada!

Since I'm WAY into metallics right now,

it's only fitting that this be covered in them.

I love it.

The frame is from an old mirror that had broken.

I've used it for all kinds of things through the years,

and found it out in the shed begging to be used for something.

The wire was already attached,

as it's most recent use was for pictures to hang from.

The wire and screw that it's attached to are from 

a picture hanging kit... super easy.

Just measure out how far apart you want your wires,

screw in the little screws and run the wire through it.

So, once it was up on the wall and my space was coming together,

I was noticing that A LOT of my jewelry are creations from 

Petie Mae Jewelry.

My love for Petie Mae

(the girl and the jewelry)

is a bit unabashed.

I love her creative style.

Her pieces are unique (right up my alley!),

feminine and just altogether lovely

(a lot like the girl, herself!).

She's SO lovely,

she's giving away one of her beautiful pieces

to one of you!!

This giveaway is only open to US residents and will go through
Monday, April 8th until midnight.
The winner will be announced on Tuesday, April 9th!

Shimmer and Lace

The curtains...

ooooooh, the curtains!

These turned out even better than I had dreamed them in my head!

And I always love it when that happens.

So, if you hadn't noticed from some of my other decor,

I'm bringing gold back.

I love the look of it and

the contrast of the silver and gold together

with the lace,

oh, goodness,

it makes me swoon.

It's so romantic.

When I had originally painted the room,

I was planning on keeping the blue curtains we had

but dying them a grayish kind of hue.

Then I had the idea to go for a dark, dark brown.

Long story short... they ended up a disturbing shade of purple.

So, when I just happen to stumble upon the silver fabric

for $1.50 a yard,

I took that as a sign that I was supposed to enhance our space with it.

The lace was around $2;

the gold fabric was on sale (later found at a different store)

for around $5;

and the backing was around $8

(with my 50% coupon to Joanne's... thanks Jess!).

That's $21, people...

for four custom panels.

I LOVE IT!

What's your take on gold these days??

Lace Fever

First...

A little sneak peek at what I've been working on this week.

If you can be in love with a curtain,

I am.

A few weeks ago,

some lady friends and I were working on these:

It's a jar

wrapped in lace and twine.

Seriously.

Find a jar,

get some lace,

hot glue the ends together,

and wrap some twine around it.

It can't get any easier

or more lovely.

They just add prettiness to the room.

I find myself wanting to don a petticoat and parasol

when I see them.

THAT'S how pretty they are.

Have a very lovely weekend!

I Wear My Heart On My Sweater

This suits my fancy a bit more.

I told you I was loving all these hearts I was seeing!

And I needed one.

I bought this sweater for $1.50 at my favorite thrift shop.

I already had the felt and thread, 

so this was one of my less expensive projects 

(You're welcome, Love).

All you need to do is cut your heart out;

pin it to the spot where you'd like it to be and then sew it on.

Pretty easy...

I ended up cutting the collar off 

(I used a zig-zag stitch to keep it from fraying)

because I felt claustrophobic in it...

well, and I like ribbons.

I just wove a little white ribbon through the knitting

to keep the neck a little more secure.

We'll see where this leads,

because now I have all kinds of ideas for patches.

Hearts.

This...

may be looking something more like this...

really soon.

I've been seeing heart patches everywhere

and I must say I love them.

Big hearts on your front,

tiny heart patches on your elbows,

oh, yes, please.

So, we'll see.

My Spare Time.

Despite little rascally children

getting up and out of bed

numerous times these last few days,

decorating and evening projects have still been taking place...

just MUCH more slowly than I prefer.

Tis the season, though,

the sowing season.

I was just telling some friends the other night

who were feeling sorry for my

hustling and bustling and wrangling of crazies

throughout the evening

that I'm quite of aware of this season that 

I've chosen to be in and not to feel sorry for me at all!

Three little ones who are four years old and under

teach and train me CONSTANTLY the virtues of 

patience

endurance

perseverance

diligence

and flexibility.

It's not always easy,

it's certainly not always enjoyable,

sometimes it pushes me to my breaking point,

but it's so worth it.

Always.

Here are a few more peeks though

of what I've accomplished in my

"spare time":

Enjoy this new day!

Oh, and PS:

I love, I mean LOVE it when you all comment!!

It gets me happy AND motivated...

so thanks!

PS2:

My lists are kicking booty around here.

And The Winner Is...

Since I'm all about doilies right now,

I've been looking forward to sprucing this 

lampshade up for awhile.

As soon as I dabbed one little spot of paint on,

I knew it was headed for utter failure.

So, I moved on...

Stencil, of course...

"How hard can a stencil be??", 

I thought to myself.

Ugh! Gross.

HAHAHA!

So, putting all my creative powers to use...

this is what I ended up with!

Oh yes, you're seeing this right,

it's JUST painted.

No frills, no DOILIES, NO stencils,

just painted.

Okay, there's a little frill,

it is painted with metallic silver and gold.

And honestly,

I love it.

It shimmers.

It sparkles.

And it's just simple.

It was a good life lesson for me to remember.

A little shimmer;

a little sparkle;

and just plain simple

{almost} ALWAYS works.

Also... check out my sponsor, Lori, over at

head above water

and see her INCREDIBLE kitchen makeover!

It will get you excited,

trust me.

Have a lovely weekend!